Blower conversion unit



Sept. 19, 1944. w. D. EVANS ,3

BLOWER CONVERSION UNIT Filed NOV. 12, 1941 5 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR' lV/LL/HM DE/I/VE Emma ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1944..

W. D. EVANS BLOWER CONVERSION UNIT Filed Nov. 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2//0 lN VENTOR M Mum/110mm HIM/V6 4 M3 ATTORN EY Sept. 19, 1944. w. EVANS2,358,695

BLOWER CONVERSION UNIT Filed Nov. 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Shet 3 ATTORNEYPatented Sept. 19, 1944 2,358,695 BLOWER CONVERSION UNIT William DeaneEvans, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Lau-Blower Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application November 12, 1941, Serial No. 418,676Claims. (01. 98-101) This invention relates to the art of heating bywarm-air and has for an object to provide a blower unit adapted initself for the complete and instantaneous conversion of a gravitycircu'lating system to a. forced air circulating system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circulation unit of theclass specified that will be decorative as well as efllcient in moving alarge volume of air, and improve the circulation and ventilation ofwarm-air heated spaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for forciblywithdrawing cold and heavy air from a space to be heated, such as a roomor rooms of a dwelling, and replacing it with warmer and lighter air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a warm-air circulationconversion unit with means for cleaning and filtering air drawn from aheated space, and then forcing it under pressure into the ductsystem ofa furnace, by permitting the forced air to expand somewhat beforepassing through the usual grill or register of the duct system.

A further object is to provide a unit of the class described that willfit tightly against a room wall, and that will engage the floor aroundthe cold air return or intake of a system in a, sealing relation.

A still further object is to provide a unit suitable for installation inrented or leased properties having cold air return openings of variousdimensions, whereby a tenant can move his conversion unit along with hisother furniture and not be faced with the landlord's charge of havingtaken away part of the fixtures.

A still further object is to provide a conversion unit that'may be movedinto the premises by the vendor or purchaser and set into operationwithout the necessity of servicemen for the installation.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a circulating unitsuitable forwithdrawing heavy cold air from a space to be heated andforcing it into a duct system returning to a heating unit, with a plenumchamber to improve the eificiency and quietness of the circulating unit.

A further object of the plenum chamber is to add to the adaptability ofthe unit to the various sizes and shapes of cold air grills.

Warm-air heating systems of the gravity circulating type are recognizedas of low efiiciency, which fact has given rise to the development offorced circulating systems. This development has resulted in theconstruction and sale of units adapted to be installed as a part of thefurnace or heating unit furnishing the warm-air and involves the cuttingof the cold air return duct at the cold air box of the furnace, removinga part of the duct or box, and fitting in its place by sheet metalworkers of a motor driven blower that has a delivery into the furnacebase, and has its intake connected with the remainder of the cold airduct system leading to the register in the living quarters or space tobe heated. In making that installation, it is sometimes necessary alsoto install baffle units within the furnace jacket and so position themthat the concentrated blast of air from the closely coupled blower willnot by-pass the hot bowl of the furnace, as it might otherwise. Thatbaflling is not necessary in connection with the conversion unit hereindescribed because the air stream there-from is permitted to expandsufficiently between the cold air return opening from the space to beheated and the base of the furnace, so that its velocity is relativelylower than that coming from a close coupled blower, and also fills thecross section of the duct which is not the case with the close coupledblower. coupled unit converts the blower unit in to a fixture of thebuilding, and on a point of law cannot be removed from the premises by atenant, once it is connected. The law thereby deprives a tenant of thebenefits of improvements making for efiiciency, since in moving fromhouse to house he is not permitted to take hlS blower unit with him, andthe cost of purchasing and installing a new unit every time he moves isprohibitive.

The instant invention removes those objections, and accomplishes thestated and other objects by providing a conversion blower unit that iscomplete in itself, and is adapted to be brought into the rented orleased property by the ordinary deliveryman, or the purchaser himself,moved into place over the existing register or cold air opening of thecold air return, and started into operation by plugging the service cordinto the electric outlet. The installation is then complete, and noreworking or alteration of the furnace or equipment is undergone. Thetenant is afiorded the use of improvements in the art without making anychange in the original heating equipment. He makes no installation thathe will not be permitted to remove. When the tenant moves to anotherlocation, he-may' pull the service cord and take his conversion unitalong with other properties, such as his electric refrigerator or hisradio. The unit is susceptible of stocking and sale by a departmentstore or the The installation of a close.

like, since no specialist, as. heating contractor or sheet metal workerhas to be called in to effect complete installation.

To facilitate those advantages, and to make for immediat installation,the conversion blower unit comprises a motor driven blower mountedwithin a substantially airtight casing, except for intake and outletpassages, which casing is pleasing in design and appearance, in that itsimulates or incorporates utility features of a piece of furniture, andwhen placed over a register or opening will so completely cover the sameas to be a complete mask for its functional purpose. Its flat top mayserve as a table or like article of 1 utility. Intake openings, near,the floor serve to remove the coldest layers of air in supplying thedemand of the blower; and thereby accelerates the displacement ofcold-air with the warmer air above. Filter units removably mountedwithin the casing so that they may be removed for replacement orcleaning are interposed in the airstream between the intake of the unitand the Further objects and advantages of the present 85 inventionwilkbeapparent from the following description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: K

Fig. 1 is. a view of a gravity circulating warm air heating plant in abuilding, with the invention in place.

' Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention with parts brokenawayfor clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the, conversion unitsubstantially as indicated by the line and arrows 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view at right angles thereto, substantially asindicated by the line and arrows 4-4 in Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modiflcation of the casinginlet for the conversion unit as indicated by line and arrows 5-5of'Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the same substantially asindicated by the line and arrows 6-6 of Fig. 5.

With particular reference to the drawings, in

refers to a warm-air furnaeehaying one or more return or cold-air pipe28 to communicate with 70 the cold-air box attached to the base of thefurnace it. That is the usual installation of the conventional warm airfurnace, where dependence is had upon gravity or the weight of the coldair for supplyin the circulation of the warmed 7 chamber. The loweredges of the end and side air. In principle, the warm or heated airbeing lighter rises-through the pipe I2 and register 23 to fill the roomI4, 22 and the like, it likewise rising to near the ceiling to replacethe colder air that sinks to the floor because of greater-weight perunit volume. The cooler air sinking to the floor, and being pushed asideby the warmer air rising from the registers 20, finds its way to thecold air grill 24 and'thence falls through it into the box 26 on its wayback to the furnace by way of the pipe 28. The cycle of air change isslow and not particularly effective especially where an intervening wall32 hindersvthe ready circulation of the heated air. The whole systemdepends upon the difference in weight of the warm air in the pipe I! andthe cold air in the return pipe 23.

The blower conversion unit constituting the instant invention is adaptedto transform the gravity circulating system into one of forcedcirculation, and is susceptible of instantaneous installation, ortransportation to a new location, since it is adapted to be moved intothe room and to be placed over the return grill 24 or the opening 23without the need of a tool or implement of any kind. The conversion unit34 is of pleasing design to serve a secondary purpose as a unit offurniture, and comprises a casing 38 which may be of sheet metal or thelike providing a rear wall 33, two'end walls 40, and a front wall 42suitably joined together and capped by a top member 44. It is preferredthat the top fit tightly over the side wallsf and for that purpose theupper edges of the side walls are offset inwardly as at 45 to form flushexterior surface meeting with the turned over edge of the top 44, all ofwhich is shown to advantage in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive.

In Figs. 1 to 4, three of the side walls of the casing, are providedwith louvers as shown at 43 for the end walls and for the front wall. Ifdesired the louvers may also, be provided in the back wall. In each ofthe walls the louvers are preferably confined to the bottom half orlower portion of the particular panel, and the louvers are directedinwardly from the surface of the panel and wholly contained within thecasing so as not to present obstructions on which clothing can besnagged, or upon which persons may be injured Within the casing there isprovided a support wall or the like, and may take the form of asub-panel 52 held in spaced relation from the lower terminal edge of thecasing by means of ledge members or the like 54, and to which thesupport wall may be secured. While a horizontal support wall has beenshown, the same may take other forms, so long as it separates a highpressure chamber from an intake or low pressure walls-of the casing areturned inward to form a flange 56 and to provide a bearing surface for agasket or sealing strip 51 of rubber, felt or the like, which also actsa a vibration and sound absorbing means for the unit when in operation.

The sub-panel 52 forms one boundary of a plenum chamber, and isapertured at 58 to form an outlet for a blower 63 mounted thereover. Asone alternative the support wall may be apertu'red to form the inletopening to the blower so mounted that it discharges downwardly. Shockabsorbing material such as rubber padding 62 or similar materialinterposed between the subpanel and the blower casing prevents air leaksand reduces noise and vibration. That affords an air-tight juncturebetween the interior of the blower housing and the cold-air conduit 23,and provides a chamber 34 between the blower outlet 58 and the register24 in which the compressed air irom the blower may expand somewhat so asto be more readily passed through the register with lower velocities andhence quieter operation. By means of this plenum chamber 64 a r aterarea of the register 24 is available for passage of air from the bloweroutlet, and the air can pass therethrough with less resistance and lessnoise.

The blower preferred is of the centrifugal type,

as herein generally illustrated, having a spiral housing 66 with adischarge opening emptying into the opening 58 of the sub-panel 52. Oneor more of the opposing walls of the housing 68 provide apertures III asblower inlet openings. Means I2 support bearings I4 for a shaft 16carrying a rotor or impeller I8, designed upon rotation to forcibly moveair from the intake openings to and through the opening 58. Transmissionmeans 80 transmits motion of the motor 82 to the rotor or impeller I8.The motor 82 may be mounted in any available space within the casing 38left outside of the blower housing, one such location being thatillustrated where the motor 82 is mounted on a plate 98 rigidly securedat one end to the blower housing at 98 while the other end of the plate96 carries an adjusting screw I engageable with the blower housing as ameans for adjusting the transmission means 80. Vibration absorbingmembers I02 are interposed between the blower housing and each end ofthe \plate 96 to suppress noise and vibration.

In Figs. 2 to 4, to clean the incoming air, filter units I04 of anyapproved form are interposed in the air stream through the unit. In oneform it is installed within the unit housing and over the louveredcasing intakes where the filter means are held by any appropriate means,such that all of the incoming air must pass through some portion of thefilter before it reaches the blower. In the form illustrated in Figs. 2,3 and 4 member I06 secured to the sub-panel provide a ledge spaced fromthe walls of the casing for holding one edge of the filter units, whileother members I08 afiixed to the inside of the wall members operate tohold the top edge of the filter units against the wall members.

In the form shown in Figs. and 6, the outer casing is supported so thatthe lower edges 58 are spaced from the floor such as to provide what maybe called a toe space 6|. Auxiliary wall members 63, 63 and 85 extendbeneath the sub-panel 52 to engage the floor as above described, andcooperate with the extension of the back wall 38 to form the boundariesof the plenum chamber 84. To support the outer casing at the front andends the sub-panel 52 may be extended to provide the apertured overhangs61, 81 and 89 beyond the auxiliary wall members to join the terminatingflanges of the side walls. The apertures of these overhangs provide theinlet openings of the casing and need not be louvered as in the case ofthe modification of Figs. 2 to 4. In this case the filter units I04 areplaced over the apertured overhangs 81, 61 and 89 so that all of theincoming air must pass through some part of the filters.

Either of the conversion units so constructed is adapted to be movedinto place over the cold air opening 23 and the service cord to themotor 82 plugged into the electric socket, whereupon the installation iscomplete. An air seal is automatically made as the conversion unit isset into place, whether it be an instance where the register 24 is setin flush with the floor as shown in Fig. 1, or whether the register hasa flange or part extending above the floor as in the case of Fi 3.

Where the building construction is such as to permit, it is preferredthat the register 24 be removed from the cold air opening, and that theconversion unit be set directly upon the floor to cover the cold-airopening. The form of conversion unit shown in Figs. 1 to 4 being oflarger floor engaging portions, will accommodate a large variety ofsizesand shapes of fioor open-' ings, and will suffice in the majorityof installations. Where the conversion unit is of a design witha smallerfloor engagement portion, or where it is of the off-set form providingthe toe space such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, it may be necessary insome instances, such as where the cold-air opening extends to one sideor another of the floor engaging portion, to provide a mask or falsebottom of air impervious material to cover that extending part of theopening. In all instances, a seal against air fiow between the fioor andfioor engaging portions will be established so that air can get to thecold air ductt 28 only by passing through the conversion um To assist inplacing the conversion unit in close proximity to a wall of a room, suchas the wall IIO Fig. 1, it is advisable to offset the lower portions ofthe back wall or panel member 38, to make way for the carpet strip H2,and baseboard II4, and so that the back panel 38 of the unit easing maybe brought into engagement with the wall surface of a building. Thathas,

been found to be of particular advantage where the conversion unit is tobe set in a relatively narrow hall or passage.

While the filter material has been shown and described as containedwithin the casing immediately over the inlet openings, it may besituated otherwise. It has been contemplated that the filter materialmay be placed on the exhaust side of the blower, such as in theplenumchamber, or elsewhere as in the duct system. In some instances of heaterinstallation the filters are incorporated as a part of the originalheating equipment, and where that isthe case it is not necessary to usethe filters provided for the conversion unit. In the disclosedembodiments the filters are readily removable for cleaning orreplacement as desired. In either form of construction, the cold air,when the unit is cycling,

is forcefully drawn into the casing through the inlet openings andthence into the interior of the blower. The blower in rotating forcesthe air radially outward into the chamber of the housing 68 from whenceit passes through the opening 58 into the plenum chamber 84 where theair expands to pass into the cold air return opening on its way to thebase of the furnace.

Designedly, the conversion unit casing has the air inlet openirgssituated in relatively close proximity to the floor of the room of thebuilding to be served, so that when operating the unit will purge theroom of its cold air first, and then move that air under pressure to theheating unit to be heated and retume'd to the rooms above. The return ofthe heated air aids in pushing a new layer of air down toward the floorto replace adopted as a table top, suitable to hold a lamp,

or books I22, or the like. Where so desired the conversion unit, as apackage may also be equipped with an auxiliary or supplemental control,such as an overheat control, with appropriate connection into theservice cord for the electric motor. Controls of the nature are wellknown to those skilled in the art, and their inclusion or exclusion,since optional, does not alter the novelty of the instant invention.

Applicant is aware that others have devoted some thought to solutions ofthe problem, but so far as now advised, all of theresulting devices havefailed to accomplish the desired results. One such device is thatdisclosed in the patent to Robinson 1,843,786 dated February 2, 1932. Bythat disclosure, a conventional four bladed air circulating fan ismounted within a short length of tubular duct to serve as a support forthe fan in eflecting either a vertical or -a horizontal stream of air.However, there is no contemplation of purging the space to be assaecsmeans along the plane of said walls adapted to engage a floor surface bywhich the ca'sing'is supported. a bottom wall member in the casingspaced above the floor leveland provided with a large aperture,centrifugal blower means sullported above the bottom wall and arrangedto discharge its entire output through said large aperture into thespace below said bottom wall,

air inlet means through said perimetric walls opening to the interior ofsaid casing above the said bottom wall, said blower means operating toaccelerate the inward movement of air through I said inlet means.

heated of the cold air nearest the floor, for when the unit is arrangedto produce a vertical down- 'ward air stream, its intake is at a pointsomewhat above the floor lever which will draw of! a stratum of cool airbut not the coldest air nearest the floor. Neither is there anycontemplation of stopping air leakage between the outlet of the blowerunit and the entrance to the cold air duct. Air lodged in the ductsystem may oppose the delivery of the unit to such an estent that theair will be returned to the room through that portion of the registersurrounding the fan housing. Likewise, there is no provision of anexpansion chamber or plenum chamber that allows for the desiredpractically necessary expansion of the air stream from the blower beforeit enters the duct system. In Robinson, the available area of theregister for passing the air stream is the same as the area of the fanhousing. In contrast with that, the applicant has devised a structurethat forcibly withdraws the coldest air that lays next to the floor ofthe space to be heated and forces it into the duct claims which follow.What is claimed is as follows:

l. A unit of the class described for transforming a conventional gravityair circulating system into a forced air circulating system, comprisingin combination, a motor driven blower unit, a casing engaging the floorin sealing relation for enclosing the blower unit and providing asubpanel spaced from the lower edge of the casing to divide the easinginto a blower housing and a plenum chamber, means supporting the blowerunit upon the sub-panel and for suppressing vibrations therefrom, outletmeans from said blower unit through said sub-panel into the plenumchamber, inlet means through said casing to said blower unit, and airfiltering means disposed over said inlet means.

' I .-2. A unit of the class described for transforming a conventionalgravity air circulating system into a forced air circulating system,comprising in combination, a casing having perimetric walls upon thefloor in fluid tight relation therewith.

a wall in said casing substantially parallel with and spaced above thefloor dividing the easing into an impeller housing and a plenum chamberhaving communication with said floor opening,

air inlet openings-in the walls of said casing leading to the impellerhousing, air impelling means for drawing air into the casing throughsaid inlet openings, and a housing about said air impelling meansdirecting all of the air drawn in through the inlet openings, through anopening in said parallel wall and into said plenum chamber, saidcirculating unit converting the gravity system into one of forcedcirculation.

4. In a warm air heating system for a building having a cold air returnopening in the floor thereof through which cold air normally flows bygravity in returning to the heating unit, the combination comprising, acasing providing walls normally joined against air leakage, and adaptedto rest upon the floor around or over said cold air opening forsupporting the casing, one

of said walls being oifset in part to receive the above the level of thefloor on which the casing.

is to be supported, a centrifugal blower within the casing and arrangedto discharge downward- 5. An air circulating unit for transforming aconventional gravity air circulating system into ending in asubstantially common plane, sealing I6 through said sub-panel into theplenum chamber, inlet means provided by the casing for supplying air tothe blower unit, and means interposed in the air stream to said blowerunit for filtering the air supply.

6. In a warm air heating system for a building having a cold air returnopening in the floor thereof through which cold air normally flows bygravity in returning to the heating unit, the combination of an aircirculating unit, comprising, a casing having floor engaging portionsadapted to rest upon the floor in substantial sealing relation andsurround the cold-air return opening, air blowing means enclosed withinthe casing, a blower housing within the casing surrounding the blower,and partition means within the casing supporting the air blowing meansabove the floor engaging portion of said casing so as to form anexpansion chamber for the air stream before discharge into the cold-airreturn opening, said casing providing air inlet means to said air blowing means, whereby upon operation of the air blowing means an airstreamis established from adjacent the floor surrounding the casing, throughthe circulating unit and into the cold-air return opening.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein the air inlet meansprovided by the casing comprise inwardly directed louvers situated abovethe level of th floor engaging portions of casing and above thepartition means but localized in the lower half of the blower enclosingportion.

8. In a gravity circulating system for warm air heating plants, having acold-air return opening from a space to be heated by said system, meansfor converting the system to one of forced circulation comprising incombination, a casing adapted to be located in the space to be heated,and cover the cold-air return opening, said casing having a partitiontherein isolating a blower compartment from an expansion chamber whichlatter opens directly into said cold air return opening, an openingconnecting the blower compartment and expansion chamber, ablowerdisposed to cover 'the said partition opening and discharge through saidpartition opening into said expansion chamber, an air intake for saidcasing leading to said blower, and sealing means preventing thedischarge of said blower passing into the blower compartment or into thespace to be heated.

9. In a warm air heating system having a cold air return opening in thefloor of a room, a housing to be positioned on' the floor to cover saidre turn opening, vibration absorbing and airflow stopping meansinterposed between the housing and the floor, a bottom wall closing offthe bottom of the housing and spaced above the said floor opening toform a plenum chamber, a centrifugal blower having a casing disposedwithin and spaced from said housing, said bottom wall supporting saidblower and having an opening therethrough from said blower casing intosaid plenum chamber, and air filtering openings through the bottom halfof said housing admitting outside air to the space between the housingand blower casing, whereby said blower is adapted to discharge air undercompression to the plenum chamber where it is permitted to expand beforebeing driven through the floor opening.

10. A blower unit for converting a gravity return warm-air heatingsystem to a forced air heating system, comprising in combination, a,unit of furniture having a casing resting on the floor in sealingengagement about a return opening therein, a horizontal partition in thecasing dividing it into a blower compartment and an expansion chamberand providing an opening therebetween, a motor driven centrifugal blowerwithin the casing arranged to completely cover and discharge throughsaid partition opening into said expansion chamber, said casing havinginlet openings in the lower half thereof leading to the intake of saidblower above the partition, and

air filtering means interposed in the air-stream between the intakethrough the casing and the discharge from the expansion chamber.

WILLIAM DEANE EVANS.

